Green City Guide: Moscow

Moscow, the largest city in Europe, also boasts one of the largest and most polluted metropolitan areas in the world, with three million cars circulating it at any given moment. As a result, the city's atmosphere, often bleak and foggy, has been compared to some of the most dystopia-like, industry-ravaged landscapes ever imagined. Despite these factors, Moscow is majestic and historic, sprinkled with picturesque onion domes and cultural offerings. Change here is fast, the influx of money in recent years has brought high-profile projects including the EcoEstate Pavlovskaya Sloboda, the first green luxury community in Russia.

On the food front, the organic food movement has not yet taken the city by storm, so you’ll have to research and plan your meals carefully. Only about 5 percent of Russians, or seven million people, prefer to buy only organic food, according to The Washington Post, compared to 42 percent in the U.S. and 32 percent in Europe. This is in part due to lack of certifications. In 2007, however, a Genetically Modified-free label made its debut.

Moscow offers a bounty of options to the green-minded traveler—these 10 tips will show you where to look. For more on the city's latest developments, check out TreeHugger's Russia archives.

1. Arrive and Leave Moscow by Train or Bus
   The airports around Moscow are among the most congested in the world, in some of the most polluted parts of the city—a humbling reminder that air travel carries a hefty eco-burden. How about arriving and departing Moscow via train or bus? Service is available to almost anywhere in Europe or Central Asia. Train ticket information and time tables are in English online at JSC Russian Railways, but you'd better brush up on your Russian if you want to buy tickets online. Tickets are also available for purchase at European travel agencies. And don't forget the legendary Trans-Siberian Express: Moscow is at the Western end of the line, so if you're coming from the east, hop on an unforgettable ride across the strikingly barren Siberia.
   
   If you are coming from Berlin, the Berlin Linien Bus is just 66 euros (about $83) for a 12-hour trip.


2. Take Public Transportation: Moscow Metro
   The massive, comprehensive underground Moscow Metro rapid transit system, covering over 180 miles via 12 lines and 177 stations, is extremely cheap, relatively intuitive, and at times breathtakingly beautiful, with phenomenal architecture. The Komsomolskaya-Koltsevaya station and the Arbatskaya station are particularly stunning. Like many transit services, the more tickets you buy, the cheaper the ride: A single ride is 19 rubles (about $0.70) and a pack of 20 rides is 280 rubles (about $10)


3. Stay Central, in a Hotel with Green Amenities, or Near a Park
   The pickings are slim when it comes to finding eco-friendly hotels in Moscow. A few massive luxury hotels, such as the Swissôtel Krasnye Holmy have fledgling "Go Green" programs with amenities like hotel room lights that automatically shut off when the guest isn't checked in.
   
   If the $900 a night rate is too hefty a dent in your wallet, try something central, where the city's sites are a mere walking distance away. For bargain hunters, beds at the Kremlin Hostel, less than two miles from the city center, are only $27 a night. Another option is the Ostankino Hotel, across the street from the Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences. Which brings us to the fourth item on this list:


4. Visit the Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences
   The 890-acre Tsytsin Main Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences, the largest of five botanical gardens in the city, is a refreshing oasis of flora from all around the world. More than 20,000 different species of plants are exhibited at the facility, which also houses a scientific research laboratory and a special section containing 20,000 rose bushes. Get off at the Vladykino Metro Station. Hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in Summer).


5. Dine at a Vegetarian or Vegan Restaurant: Jagannath, Avocado Café, Ganga Café
   Vegetarian restaurant Jagannath (the official Web site is only in Russian) is one of the few places to get vegan fare (denoted with a blue stamp) in Moscow. Help yourself to the overflowing buffet and check a few emails courtesy of the free Wi-fi.
   
   Go more upscale at the vegetarian Avocado Café and the Ganga Café, which dishes up vegetarian Indian and international cuisine. Photos of Ganga's offerings are on its Web site, again, only in Russian.


6. Shop at Dorogomilovsky and Izmailovsky Markets
   For plenty of locally grown, farm-fresh produce, live fish, caviar, traditional food, and a heady infusion of Moscow life, go to the Dorogomilovsky Market, near the Kievskaya metro station. Open daily, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
   
   A bit further from the city center, the open-air Izmailovsky Park Flea Market is the place for discounted goods, from those quintessential nesting dolls to local crafts and antiques. For lasting value, choose one-off creations over mass-produced souvenirs. Izmailovsky is open on weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Get off at the Partizanskaya metro station.


7. Stroll Through the Red Square
   As if you weren't going anyways. One of the prime historical centers in Moscow, (nay, all of Russia) the Red Square features star attractions such as the Kremlin, Lenin's Mausoleum (preserved corpse or wax figure? You be the judge), and St. Basil’s Cathedral—all within walking distance from one another.


8. Check Out Gorky Park
   Gorky Park is Moscow’s most famous park, a 300-acre reprieve from the metropolitan sprawl. Pass up the amusement park rides for eco-friendly activities like a jaunt through the sculpture garden or ice-skating in winter.


9. Take a Bike Tour around the Golden Ring of Russia
   In the warm months, the Russian Cycle Touring Club offers eight- to 12-day bike tours, which are a fantastic green way to see both Moscow and the Golden Ring, the cluster of historic villages that encircle the city. For a real taste of the local culture, cuisine, and hospitality, opt for the Adventure Tour, where you’ll pack a sleeping bag and sleep in cheap hostels and on the floors of homes belonging to locals. The cities that comprise the Golden Ring are architecturally striking and beautifully vibrant, well worth the ride.


10. Visit the Kremlin, but Keep Your Cash in Your Pocket
    Yes, the official home of the president of Russia is a world-renowned landmark and global force in international politics, but let's just say that the policies created and enforced by government officials at the Kremlin aren't exactly leading the way to global harmony when it comes to the environment. Launch a passive protest by viewing what's free—and avoiding the sections which charge extra fees, namely Cathedral Square and the Armoury Chamber museum. The good news, however, is small steps have been made to protect some of the country's undeveloped land—including a stretch along the Siberian coast—from the aggressive destruction that comes with drilling for oil or gas.

Travel much? Check out more Green City Guides.

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